Claudius Galen, was physician
to five Roman emperors. He was a teacher, philosopher, pharmacist
and leading scientist of his day. During his life he produced
five hundred books and treatises on all aspects of medical science
and philosophical subjects and his ideas were to formulate many
of the scientific beliefs which dominated medical thinking for
about 1 500 years. Galen was the great compiler and systemiser
of Greco-Roman medicine, physiology, pharmacy and anatomy. Because
he displayed a view of God and nature shared by the Christians
of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, he was regarded by them
as a fellow-Christian. This goes some way to account for the attitude
of the Church towards free thinkers such as Paracelsus
who challenged Galen's teachings.

Galen's influence can be
still seen today. The word " galenic" is used to describe
drugs and medicines made from vegetable and animal ingredients
using prescribed methods.

WHERE WAS HE BORN?

Galen was born at Pergamum,
Asia Minor on the 22 September 131 and was educated by his father,
who decided his son should enter the medical profession. This
was a wise choice as his son went on to become extremely famous.

WHAT DID GALEN DO?

At first Galen studied
philosophy, in particular Aristotle but when seventeen began to
specialise in medicine. While studying medicine Galen travelled
extensively throughout Greece, Asia Minor and Palestine to gain
experience and skills. Aged 28, he returned to Pergamum and obtained
a position as doctor to the gymnasium attached to the local sanctuary
at Asklepios. Galen remained there for five years then moved to
Rome to teach medicine. While there his fame spread rapidly and
brought him the post of physician to Marcellus Aurelius and his
son Commodus. While he was physician to the emperor, Galen also
had responsibility for the treatment of wounded Gladiators. This
gave him a wonderful opportunity to study anatomy in detail and
to carry out surgery. He performed vivisections and post-mortems
on the Barbary ape, but never on humans.

WHAT WERE GALEN'S THEORIES?

Galen put forward the theory
that illness was caused by an imbalance of the four humours: blood,
phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. He recommended specific diets
to help in the "cleansing of the putrefied juices" and
often purging and bloodletting would be used. This theory was
accepted until challenged by Paracelsus who believed that illness
was the result of the body being attacked by outside agents.

With the use of experiment
Galen showed that the arteries carried blood and not air as was
commonly believed. He also understood the value of the pulse in
diagnosis.

However Galen also believed
(incorrectly) that blood was continuously being made and used
up.

As well as running a busy
medical practice he ran his own pharmacy, stocked with his own
medicines made from animal and vegetables extracts, many of the
plants being grown in his own garden. Galen catalogued in great
detail various remedies including how each was made and the correct
doses to be given.